Origin & due diligence
In 2026, “Chad origin” is a claim buyers must verify. Here is how we make ours provable, lot by lot — and our public commitment never to touch conflict gum.
Why origin is the question in 2026
Since the war in Sudan disrupted the world’s main source of gum arabic, buyers have turned to Chad — and so has conflict gum. PAX reported in November 2025 that 50,000 to 70,000 tonnes of Sudanese gum cross into Chad each year, where it is relabelled as local production and blended with genuine Chadian gum. In July 2026, the United Nations documented looted gum moving through Chad to the port of Douala (OHCHR, 2026). For a serious buyer, “Chad origin” is now a claim to verify, not a guarantee.
MAMO International exists to be the Chadian supplier whose origin is provable at the lot level — not merely asserted. Here is exactly how we do it, and the public commitment behind it.
How we prove origin, lot by lot
- Collection zones away from the border. We source from zones chosen away from the Sudanese frontier — Chari-Baguirmi, Hadjer-Lamis, Guéra, southern Salamat — with a GPS polygon recorded for each zone.
- Named collectors, under exclusivity. Each producer group signs an exclusivity contract, backed by a register naming the collectors, their village and their zone.
- Traceable purchase. Gum is weighed at collection against a numbered purchase slip and paid through traceable means rather than cash wherever possible.
- Sealed from the collection point. Bags are numbered and sealed where they are collected, with timestamped photographs and a transport slip.
- One lot, one zone — never blended. Sorting in N’Djamena runs under an HACCP-based plan. A lot corresponds to a single origin zone; we never blend two zones, still less two countries. A sealed reference sample is kept for every lot.
- Independent analysis. Each lot is analysed by an independent laboratory — moisture, ash, acid-insoluble matter, optical rotation (which distinguishes Senegal from Seyal), microbiology and heavy metals.
- Open audit. Buyers and their compliance teams are welcome to audit the chain on site, at any point.
Our conflict-free sourcing policy
This is our public commitment. It is annexed to every commercial offer and signed by the founders of MAMO International.
Conflict-free sourcing policy
- We never buy gum arabic of Sudanese or undetermined origin.
- We never blend two zones — or two countries — within a single lot.
- Every lot carries a documented origin dossier, from collection zone to port of loading.
- Buyers have the right to audit our chain of custody on site.
- Anyone may raise a concern through our alert procedure; we investigate and act.
Signed — the founders, MAMO International
What travels with every container
Compliance teams work from documents, not claims. Each shipment carries a complete file:
- Commercial invoice & packing list (lot numbers)
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin (Chad Chamber of Commerce)
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Independent laboratory certificate of analysis
- GPS zone sheet (polygon, group, collection dates)
- Timestamped photos: collection, weighing, seals, loading
- Signed conflict-free & no-blending declaration
- Technical data sheet & safety data sheet
- United States: FDA registration & FSVP documents
None of this is required by the EU Deforestation Regulation, which does not cover gum arabic — but it is exactly the origin and conflict-free due diligence that serious buyers now ask for. Read our note on EUDR and gum arabic.